George westlxghotjse



GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

Improvement in Steam-Power Car-Brake Apparatus.

Patented )une 6,1871.

T NE omen; S'ra'rns IMPROVEMENT 1N STEAM-POWER sameness APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,667, dated June 6,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon Wnsrrne- HOUSE, J r., of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Power Oar-Brake Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

. clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, showing by views, partly in section and partly in plan, certain detached parts of my airbrake apparatus, already patented to me, and illustrative of the improvement for which I now desire Letters Patent.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in the steam-power air-brake patented to me 13th April, 1869. Of the parts described in that patent the accompanying drawing contains the three-way cock A A, (shown in horizontal section through the ports,) the air-pipes B B leading thence to the brakecylinder 0, which latter, as in that patent, is furnished with a piston, piston-stem D, and bifurcated head I), all operated as in said patent set forth. I11 the patent referred to the brakes are described as being released or let off simply by turning the three-way cock to the position shown in the accompanying drawing. The air in the cylinder 0 in front of the piston then passes out by the pipes B B through the inlet-port a, and out at the escapeport a. I have found in practice that, while the compressed air readily escapes in this way, it does not always release the brake shoes from their hold on the wheels as instantaneously as could be desired on a train which has only time to make short stoppages in case the piston and stem happen to work with some friction. v

For the purpose of guarding against the 00- currence of this I have combined with the devices named what is commonly known as the steam siphon-pump, by the action of which the air is almost instantaneously exhausted from the cylinders down to or below ordinary atmospheric pressure, and thereby the brakepiston is drawn back and brake-shoes are as instantaneously released or let oif.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

The waste-pipe b communicates directlywith the escape-port a. a T-pipe, b, in one end of which I screw the nozzle 0, which, by a pipe, 0, communicates with either the steam-boiler, for the injection of steam, or with the air-reservoir described in my patent of 13th April, 1869, for the injection of air. The arrangement of the conical nozzle 0 with reference to the waste-pipe may be varied at pleasure, according to the known laws governing the operation of such devices. The nozzle 0 may be arranged directly in the waste-pipe b, but discharging in the direction of the outward flow of air.

When it is desired to let OK the brakes the cock A is turned to the position shown. A jet of steam or compressed air, preferably the former, is turned into the pipe 0, which, passing out through the nozzle 0, exhauststhe air from the brake-cylinder 0 through the communicating pipes and ports, andalmost in stantaneously lets off the brakes.

As a modification thereof I have shown a pipe, (1, leading direct from the end of the cylinder O in front of the piston,-onto which is fastened aT-pipe, cl. In the latter is arranged a nozzle, e, similar in construction to that last described, taking steam or compressed air through a pipe, 0, in like manner and with like efl'ect, and capable of like modifications as to form and arrangement. By reversing the arrangement of the brake-levers this combination may also be applied to put on as well as let off the brakes.

The steam siphon-pump may be otherwise moves in applying the brakes,) instead of by the compression of the air in the cylinder in front of the piston. To illustrate this I have shown a pipe, f, leading from the end of the cylinder O,-toward which it is desired the piston should travel in applying the brakes. The outer end of this communicates with a T-pipe,

- j, in which is arranged a conical nozzle, 9, as

already described, and capable of like modifications. Compressed air or steam then being passed through the pipe 9 and nozzle g, the air will be exhausted from the cylinder 0 back of the piston, which will cause the latter to travel back and through its stem D, to op- @FFICE.

On the outer end of it is as in my previous patent set forth.

If steam be used in exhausting the'air from' the cylinder 0 it will be found sometimes that after the exhaustion has been carried below atmospheric pressure a reaction will take place, which, if not provided against, will carry some of the steam back through the air-outflow pipes into the cylinder 0, where it condenses, and where the presence of water is objectionable. To prevent this inflow of steam I arrange at any desired point back of the steamdischarging pipe, and between it and the cylinder O, a check-valve, m, seat it in a diaphragm, m, and guide it by a stem, a, or in other known way. As shown, the valve m seats itself by its own weight, but it may be placed in any other desired position, and be seated bya spring or other equivalent device. Such a valve may be arranged in any of the pipes 12 d f. As thus arranged it permits the outflow of air, but prevents the inflow of steam" when the reaction of atmospheric pressure takes place.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A steam or air-discharging nozzle, arranged in the air-outflow pipe of a car-brake cylinder,discharging in the direction of the outflow of air from the cylinder, and in combination with such cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the subject-matter of the previous claim, a check-valve, m, arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE 1YVESTINGFHOUSE, Jr., have hereunto set my and. GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR'.

Witnesses:

A. S. NIcnoLs'oN, G. H. GHRrsrY. 

